What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Bring it on home... the soul classics -- CD

Aaron Neville

2006 Burgundy Records

Amazon.com

Approach Aaron Neville's Bring it on Home ... the Soul Classics with anything but an open heart and you've missed the point. This is a serious CD, at once mournful, humble, and joyous, with no shortage of moments that recall the terribleness of Hurricane Katrina. One way of processing it is as a cataloging of classic songs that helped Neville's fellow New Orleanians soldier through: opener "Rainy Night in Georgia" with jazzman Chris Botti wrings beauty from soaking-wet despair, "Stand By Me" turns its heel on pleading in favor of promise-making, and "People Get Ready," with David Sanborn and brother Art, is a chill-sending reminder of how unity and perseverance can trump tragedy. Viewed from another lens, Soul Classics is Neville's attempt at climbing aboard the late-career, classic-covers bandwagon while weaving his bayou-soul heritage into the picture. The trouble with that theory, though, is that it feels like so much more. His voice flutters alongside Mavis Staple's on "Respect Yourself" with completely uncontrived tenderness, and Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" becomes a meditation on stillness and ease that befits a boulder-sized lump in the throat. A tossed-together concept album this is not; a reflection of a soul man gifted with the ability to spin epic, unyielding sorrow into grace is more like it. --Tammy La Gorce

Track listing

1. Rainy Night in Georgia
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
4. Stand by Me
5. You Send Me
6. Respect Yourself
7. When a Man Loves a Woman
8. Let's Stay Together
9. It's All Right
10. People Get Ready
11. My Girl
12. Ain't That Peculiar
13. Change Is Gonna Come, A

 

[Dennie]

Billy Highstreet Samba -- CD

Stan Getz

1990 Phonogram France

Getz leading "Fusion" effort August 9, 2004
By rash67 VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD

Stan Getz European road manager was Bill Hoogstraten. One day Stan said, "Let's see, Hoogstraten, doesn't that mean 'High Street'"? Stan thought this was quite amusing, being often on High Street himself, so Stan collaborated on a Samba named for him. But 'Billy Highstreet Samba' is not really a samba, more nearly Rock Fusion.

Stan participated in a number of forgetable Fusion efforts in the 70's, to show he could play anything au courant, before his comeback in the 80's. Then, on his next Concord albums, he decided to change and play only what he was good at - his own straight-ahead mainstream style of Jazz, more involved versions of the same type of music he'd played in the '50's. Of all of his Fusion flounderings, this is the most listenable.

The better Getz pieces on this CD are, as usual, the slower, introspective ones like Chuck Loeb's "Be There Then", "Dirge" and the standard "Body and Soul". But, overall, there is also too much Fusion here; the sidemen meander, do their own thing, oblivious, while Stan tries to look for a place to make his statement in his idiom.

This will not replace Getz Cool, aloof work in the '40's thru '60's in anyone's heart. Nor will it replace his marvelous Cool (with emotions) comeback in the '80's, but it it the best album of the lost Fusion years.

Track Listing
1. Hospitality Creek
2. Anytime Tomorrow
3. Be There Then
4. Billy Highstreet Samba
5. Dirge, The
6. Page Two
7. Body and Soul
8. Tuesday Next - (bonus track)


Bass – Mark Egan
Drums – Victor Lewis
Executive Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Guitar – Chuck Loeb
Keyboards – Mitchel Forman
Mixed By [Digitally] – Phil Edwards
Percussion – Bobby Thomas Jr.
Photography By – Christian Rose, Jean-Pierre Larcher
Producer – Stan Getz

 

[heeman]

One of my all time favorites...........it has been awhile! :bow-blue: :bow-blue:

 

[Dennie]

Jazz: Red Hot and Cool -- Remastered

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

1955/2001 Columbia Legacy

Recorded during three different stays at New York's Basin Street, Jazz: Red, Hot and Cool is making its first appearance in the U.S. on CD. It documents -- with the addition of two additional performances that were previously unissued -- the original Brubeck quartet in its final years. In 1956 Joe Morello would replace Joe Dodge, and in 1958 Eugene Wright would take over the bass chair from Bob Bates. What strikes the listener about this band, is a having been seasoned for five years when the first of these performances were recorded, the Brubeck quartet was far more immersed in the blues than anyone -- at least the critics of the time -- had given them credit for. Paul Desmond's alto tone had yet to take on the dry martini velvety texture that became his trademark, and Brubeck was not yet inserting the totality of his classical ideas about the extrapolation of dissonance from consonance and its resulting harmonic theory that was built on an elaborate contrapuntal system. These ideas, that were introduced to him by the French composer and instructor Darius Milhaud and the music of Shostakovich and Stravinsky would later result in the wildly inventive tonal identity expressed in his compositions on Jazz Impressions of Eurasia, Jazz Impressions of New York, and even Time Out. On this set, while Brubeck is playing with large augmented chords and without the use of arpeggios, his strident melodic sense keeps him rooted in the American vernacular musically. There is the gorgeous, post-bop blues in "Lover," and the Gershwin-esque balladic structure employed in "Little Girl Blue." Desmond, for his part was a constant, the most rock steady part of the band. His solos were the epitome of melodic improvisation even then. His break on "Fare the Well, Annabelle," carries the melody and harmony in its venturing. Brubeck, never content to just comp, offers Desmond a few additions on the diminished seventh and he goes for them stitching his counterpoint through them, taking the tune's body into an entirely new intervallic mode. Brubeck's solo quotes Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik," Pachelbel's "Canon," and variations on a classical theme from the Orient -- Korea, in fact, which was provocative, given the time. The beautiful reading given here of "Love Walked In" is worthy of note because it features the band at its most intimate, hunkered down inside the tune's melody, reworking it to close it off even more from undue influence while re-creating its harmonic architecture. And then there's "The Duke," offered to Gil Evans, a simple stroll through the blues with a nod to both Gershwin and Rogers & Hart. As the band launches into "Indiana" the classic quartet flourish becomes evident; the rhythm section keeps it all steady no matter what happens, and, in Desmond's solo, crossing rhythmic patterns, full time signatures, and meter at lightning speed, this was no mean feat. The two added performances "Taking a Chance on Love" and "Closing Time Blues" were recorded a month after the previous four in August of 1955. Both of them display Brubeck's now trademark two-part counterpoint and Desmond's "in flight" manner of response. They are worthy additions to a record that was already wonderful for its inspiration and the way in which it displayed the band's innovative energy that was unique to live ...

Track Listing
1. Lover
2. Little Girl Blue
3. Fare Thee Well, Annabelle
4. Sometimes I'm Happy
5. Duke, The
6. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
7. Love Walked In
8. Taking a Chance on Love - (previously unreleased, bonus track)
9. Closing Time Blues - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

------

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Dave Brubeck (piano); Paul Desmond (saxophone); Bob Bates (bass); Joe Dodge (drums).

 

[Babs]

^Dave Brubeck! Nice!

We are listening to so many this evening...Michael McDonald, Eden Brandt, Joshua Kadison,The Calling, Maria Muldaur, Shinedown and on & on!!!! :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

One Take Radio Sessions -- EP

Mark Knopfler

2005 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

Eschewing much of the stardust that the worldwide success of Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms virtually guaranteed him, Mark Knopfler's belated and halting solo career since has often seemed willfully spectral, if ever driven by a quietly intense musical restlessness. Taking "Rudiger" from his '96 solo debut and seven core tracks from his savory, thematically eclectic '04 collection, Shangri-La, Knopfler returned to the Malibu studio of the same name to forge these more focused, nigh-perfect live renditions with his bandmates. The intimate setting offers added poignancy to "The Trawlerman's Song" and casts "Back to Tupelo" in bluesier, more supple tones, while "Song For Sonny Liston" bristles with grittier energy. Fans of Knopfler's fluid, expressive guitar technique will find much to admire as well, from the sprightly, country-fied chicken-pickin' of "Donegan's Gone" to the tasteful, economic soloing on "Boom, Like That" and "Everybody Pays." But, as on the album that inspired this EP, the real star here is Knopfler the songwriter--an artist whose choice in themes and subtle wordplay has become the equal of his compelling fretwork. --Jerry McCulley


1. "The Trawlerman's Song"
2. "Back to Tupelo"
3. "Song for Sonny Liston"
4. "Rüdiger"
5. "Boom, Like That"
6. "Everybody Pays"
7. "Donegan's Gone"
8. "Stand Up Guy"

 

[topper]

[3 cd Box Set]

~

 

[Dennie]

Classic Moods -- 20bit K2 CD

Ernie Watts

1998 JVC Records

Classic Moods refers to a number of things -- classic songs, the classic small hard-bop group, the classic sound of jazz ballads. It's clear that Ernie Watts was out to recapture the spirit of his hero John Coltrane's exquisite Ballads, and what's surprising is how close he comes to fulfilling his goal. Working with pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist George Mraz and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Watts recaptures the classic sound of '50s small combos without ever sounding like a stodgy revivalist. That's because he's too concerned with feeling and fresh, vital improvisations to devote himself to painstaking re-creations of the past. Every musician in the group plays with passion, even during subtle interludes, and that is what brings such standards as "In a Sentimental Mood," "Green Dolphin Street" and "'Round Midnight" to life. You may have heard these songs countless times, but they're worth hearing again in this setting. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Track Listing
1. In a Sentimental Mood
2. Oh Green Dolphin Street
3. In Never Entered My Mind
4. 'Round Midnight
5. Blues Now and Then
6. Never Let Me Go
7. Lush Life
8. I Don't Know Why
9. The Poet
10. Good Morning Heartache

Personnel: Ernie Watts (saxophone); Mulgrew Miller (piano); George Mraz (acoustic bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (extended resolution compact disc).

 

[Dennie]

Sphinx -- OMR CD

Allegro Jazz Ensemble

1986 MFSL 898/Melodiya USSR

The most noteworthy aspect to this CD is that it shows that not all Russian jazz groups played avant-gartde music. The Allegro Jazz Ensemble (a medium-sized band) performs a variety of contemporary jazz styles including some fusion, Chick Corea-influenced acoustic music and the hard-driving "Sphinx." The exact personnel is unfortunately not given and this release is actually a "best of" set taken from several 1980's recordings. The musicianship is impressive with saxophonist Igor Butman taking honors although the compositions are generally not as interesting as the solos. An above average (if not overly distinctive) modern mainstream release. by Scott Yanow

Track Listing

1. In This World: Jazz Composition In Four Movements - I 6:27
2. II 4:37
3. III 8:09
4. IV 4:31
5. Legend: Jazz Composition In Three Movements - I 7:50
6. II 7:21
7. III 5:38
8. Sphinx 9:46
9. Portrait 13:45

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Intersection -- CD

Earl Thomas

2005 Memphis Records

Great Album!, August 15, 2006
By T. Steckling (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Intersection (Audio CD)

After seeing Earl Thomas live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2006, It was a must to go and buy his CD's.

Earl Thomas - Intersection, is a great album, with a lot well-known covers, excellent mix of blues, soul, jazz, and gospel! Earl Thomas' voice is amazing - never seen something like this before. His live shows are extraordinary and remarkable.

A must for all modern soul lovers!

1. Workin’ Together
2. The Higher Ground (Everything Is Alright)
3. The Bright Side Of You (Let Me See)
4. Bang A Gong
5. Sweet Like Sugar
6. The Lucky One
7. Life OF My Broken Heart
8. No Two Wrongs
9. Your Daddy’s E
10. Brown Sugar

 

[mcad64]

I thought this was a much better effort than Souljacker.

 

[Botch]

^^^ that is a very intriguing album cover! :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

I can't remember who posted listening to this one:

…but THANK YOU! There's only one "hit" that I recognized, but easily ten of the at least 20 songs on this CD are really good power pop: sharp and funny lyrics, great melodies, and wonderful harmonies. :eusa-clap:
Of the rest of the songs, too many of them are simply the song's title sung over and over and over, ugh. I could see ripping the ten great songs onto a separate CD, it'd be killer. :music-listening:

 

[Botch]

 

[Babs]

A CLASSIC!!!! Just like Frank!!!! :bow-blue:

 

[Babs]

I luv this entire CD...BUT...track #5! Oh my goodness!!! Enough said!!!

 

[heeman]

This is another of my all time favorites.....................

Last night I listened to it in the HT for the first time.................damn I love this album! :bow-blue: :bow-blue:

Track Listings
1. You Know What I Mean
2. She's A Woman
3. Constipated Duck
4. AIR Blower
5. Scatterbrain
6. Cause We've Ended As Lovers
7. Thelonious
8. Freeway Jam
9. Diamond Dust

 

[Dennie]

Happy Saturday everyone.... :banana-dance:

The Blues And The Abstract Truth -- 20 Bit CD

Oliver Nelson

1961/1995 MCA/Impulse! Records

Tremendous album, September 5, 2005
By Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Blues and the Abstract Truth (Audio CD)

One of those albums that over time has entered the legendary category - very much a landmark recording. STOLEN MOMENTS has not only become a jazz standard, but this initial recording of the tune is a masterpiece. Everything and everyone on it just clicks perfectly: Dolphy's solo on flute absolutely demands the listener's attention. And the other tunes are almost just as good, especially HOE-DOWN and CASCADES, both taken up tempo. The album was like a gust of fresh air when it first came out on LP in 1961, and it still sounds fresh today. One of those must-have CDs.

"Stolen Moments"
"Hoe-Down"
"Cascades"
"Yearnin'"
"Butch and Butch"
"Teenie's Blues"

(All tracks composed by Nelson.)

---------

Oliver Nelson — alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Eric Dolphy — flute, alto saxophone
George Barrow — baritone saxophone
Freddie Hubbard — trumpet
Bill Evans — piano
Paul Chambers — bass
Roy Haynes — drums

 

[Dennie]

Black Orpheus -- Remastered CD

Ray Brown Trio

1994 Evidence Records

Whether accompanying or leading a band, bassist Ray Brown was long among jazz's greatest players. These cuts, mostly from 1989 escept for two numbers done in 1991, feature Brown backing soulful pianist Gene Harris and steady drummer Jeff Hamilton on a program combining Afro-Latin material with standards from Johnny Mercer, Fats Waller and others, as well as an excellent rendition of Percy Mayfield's blues/R&B standard "Please Send Me Someone to Love." The songs are long enough to display each musician's skills, but not so lengthy that they become repetitious. It's a well-played, delightful example of the kind of high-powered material that was Ray Brown's stock-in-trade. ~ Ron Wynn

Album Tracks

1. The Days Of Wine And Roses
2. I Thought About You
3. Black Orpheus (Manha de Carnaval)
4. How Insensitive
5. My Foolish Heart
6. Please Send Me Someone To Love
7. Ain't Misbehavin'
8. When You Wish Upon A Star
9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (bass); Gene Harris (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).Recorded live at Good Day Club, Tokyo, Japan on May 23, 1989 and February 7, 1991. Includes liner notes by Zan Stewart.Digitally remastered by Ed Vanlandegham.

 

[Dennie]

Okay, WOW!..... Get this!

Maybe the best version of "Little Drummer Boy" I have heard! :bow-blue:

Christmas At My House -- CD

Larry Carlton

1989 MCA Master Series

A beautiful mix of guitar and vocals, with a few surprises December 7, 1998
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD

You probably think, "Aargh, another Christmas album!" Surprisingly, this is a great one. LC is at his best on "Little Drummer Boy" and "The Christmas Song". Every time I play this at Christmas, everyone wants to know "who is that, anyway?" There are 2 nice surprises on the album - a great pop tune called "Ringing the Bells of Christmas" sung by Michele Pillar and "The Christmas Song (vocal) also by Pillar. Her voice is gorgeous - rich, deep, clear highs. Reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, but much more sultry and mature. Carlton has all the usual suspects on the album as well, including Kirk Whalum, Terry Trotter, Abe Laboriel. A real family album. A real nice one, too! Merry Christmas!

Track Listing
1. The - (TRUE instrumental) Christmas Song
2. Winter Wonderland
3. Silent Night / It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
4. White Christmas
5. The Holly and the Ivy
6. Ringing the Bells of Christmas
7. What Child Is This?
8. The Little Drummer Boy
9. Joy to the World
10. My Favorite Things / We Three Kings Of Orient Are
11. The - (vocal) Christmas Song

 

[heeman]

Van The Man! :banana-rock: :banana-rock:

Track Listings
1. Bright Side Of The Road
2. Gloria
3. Moondance
4. Baby Please Don't Go
5. Have I Told You Lately
6. Brown Eyed Girl
7. Sweet Thing
8. Warm Love
9. Wonderful Remark
10. Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)
11. Full Force Gale
12. And It Stoned Me
13. Here Comes The Night
14. Domino
15. Did Ye Get Healed
16. Wild Night
17. Cleaning Windows
18. Whenever God Shines His Light
19. Queen Of The Slipstream
20. Dweller On The Threshold